The month of November was extremely busy! School is coming to an end and with that comes due dates and a list of assignments to complete. My work was also very busy and so it resulted in me working a full time job while going to school. But with that being said – I did it! The goal setting for me this month was crucial and I think it actually helped me from burning out. Keeping myself accountable for my personal well being and reminding myself to take time, rest and take care of my physical health was an integral part of getting through this month.
Get 8 hours of sleep every night: I’ve learnt a lot about the effects of sleep on your mental and physical well being and so my goal this month was to ensure I was getting the sleep that I needed!
Successes…
- I reduced some of my hours at work to ensure that I was getting home and getting to sleep on time. Although their were still some late nights, this really helped with managing my sleep and making sure I was resting enough.
Areas for improvement…
- I have a bad habit of when I get home from work scrolling on my phone to wind down. This ends up causing me to stay up even later than I should be and have a harder time falling asleep! I do think after work I need a moment to wind down before hopping right into bed – what I’ve been trying to do instead is colour or read a bit of my book to allow my body to slow down and understand that it’s time to rest.
Take care of my physical health: With the increased workload I expected for November I knew my physical health could take a turn with the added stress so I really wanted to ensure I was properly caring for myself.
Successes…
- I went to a naturopath for the first time and it was amazing! I learnt so much about myself and how to view my health more holistically. I was given a health plan and a list of vitamins to take to help boost my immune system. The naturopath I went to was at Advanced Womens Health in Victoria, I would highly recommend them to anyone!
Areas for improvement…
- I did fall ill a few times in the month of November, which is expected this time of the year. My naturopath visit was also closer to the end of the month so I learnt I wasn’t taking the right vitamins I probably should have been this month! But going into December I’m looking forward to starting on this new health journey and seeing where it takes me!
Schedule down time: With being busy it is very easy to get a bit lost in that and forget about how important it is to nurture yourself! I really wanted to focus on scheduling time on my own or with family and friends to recharge.
Successes…
- I had a couple weekends away with family which were so restorative. One weekend we went up to Port Renfrew and stayed in a cabin, roasted marshmellows on the fire and made really nice home cooked meals. This was such a great time and it was really nice breaking up the screen time with so much studying to a bit of nature time with family.
- Another weekend away was a recent one with my partner in Vancouver. We stayed at the Fairmont Pacific Rim for one night for my partners birthday, got massages at the spa, went through a nordic spa circut, ate some delicious food and got to enjoy some rest while checking out the city! At the nordic spa I did 5 minutes in the 8 degree cold plunge and 1 minute in the ice bath that was supposedly 4 degrees so that was a major win for me!
Areas for improvement…
- Sometimes I find it hard to fully disconnect and recharge at home. There are so many distractions whether thats being able to easily access my computer to do school work or notice that something needs tidying and so I will start doing that. I think it’s important for me moving forward to ensure that I allow myself to fully recharge and enjoy the stillness of being at home with a movie or book.
Overall November was a major success, although it was busy and I felt at times overwhelmed I really noticed how having a monthly goal really impacted my mental and physical well being.